Skip to main content

How to set your pet sitter up for success

When you have to travel for vacation, a work trip, or any other need, hiring a pet sitter can let your pets stay in the comfort of their own home while still being cared for. While it’s important to hire a qualified, reputable pet sitter, the steps that you take before leaving also can help set the pet sitter up for success. With the right preparation, your pet sitter will be ready just in case an emergency takes place, and they’ll also be equipped with the information they need to give your pets the quality care they’re used to.

Stock up on extra food and medication

It’s always a good idea to leave your pet sitter with extra food and medication for your pets. Having extra on hand can help cover you if your flight is delayed or your stay is otherwise extended and you can’t get home as soon as you’d planned.

This is particularly important with any medications. In addition to leaving extra medication, you’ll need to leave your pet sitter detailed dosage instructions to ensure your pet receives the meds he needs.

Woman sitting on a bench and giving a dog a treat
422737/Pixabay

Call your vet ahead of time

Before you leave home, call your vet’s office and authorize the pet sitter to seek care for your animals. Your vet may ask you to specify care limitations or financial limits for the pet sitter and would also try to contact you for any additional authorizations needed. Giving your pet sitter permission to seek emergency treatment for your pet could potentially save his life if an emergency arose and you couldn’t be reached by phone.

In addition to this authorization, your vet’s office will probably take your credit card information to hold on file. Again, be sure to specify any financial limitations that you want to put on the card. Having a card on file can ensure that your pet gets prompt veterinary treatment if he needs it, even if you aren’t available to provide a down payment.

Provide your pet sitter with emergency contact information

In an emergency, the more emergency contacts your pet sitter has, the better. Start off by leaving them not only your vet’s number and address but also the number and address of the nearest emergency veterinary clinic or hospital.

Next, provide them with your contact information. In addition to leaving your cellphone number, give the pet sitter the contact information for the venues where you’ll be staying, as well as the dates when you’ll be at each venue. If your cell is off or out of range, the sitter could still potentially contact you through the venue.

Contact friends and family as backups

Contact some local friends and family and let them know you’ll be traveling. Ask them if they would be willing to be emergency backups who could step in to help care for your pets if needed. Leave their numbers with the pet sitter, and be sure to keep them with you as you travel so you can always reach these emergency contacts if needed.

Do a thorough house and yard check

Before you leave, carefully check over your house and yard for safety. This is the time to make sure all gates are securely latched, all window screens are securely in place, and there aren’t any hazards left out, like unsecured garbage or cleaning chemicals.

Keep in mind that, with their change in routine, your pets may get bored and potentially get into more trouble than they usually would. Make sure to remove any potential dangers to help keep your pets safe while you’re gone.

Person walking two dogs on leashes down a trail
RebeccasPictures/Pixabay

Leave detailed instructions

Leave your pet sitter with detailed pet care instructions to help ensure they don’t have lots of questions or run into problems. If you travel often, write these instructions up and save them on your computer so you can easily edit and print them out again for future pet sitters.

When writing out the instructions, start well ahead of time. You’ll be surprised how many things you do with your pets during the day that you might not think to include in the instructions. Drafting the instructions in advance means you can also send them over to the pet sitter to review, letting them ask questions and get clarification while you’re still here.

When you’re leaving your pets with a pet sitter, the more planning you can do, the better. Making sure your pet sitter has all the supplies and information they’ll need can help keep your pets safer, but it also makes for a better experience for your pet sitter. With less stress, your pet sitter will be free to focus fully on your pets, making your time away a positive experience for everyone. Setting your pet sitter up for success isn’t terribly difficult, and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that your pets are safe at home and will be ready to eagerly greet you when you return.

Editors' Recommendations

Paige Cerulli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…
How much water should your puppy drink in a day? Here are the factors to consider
Your dog's water intake depends on their age, size, and breed
Labrador puppy drinking from a bowl

Just like with you, drinking water is essential for your dog's good health. You might be surprised to learn that the cuddly bundle of fur you just welcomed into your home is actually made mostly of water. Among other things, water is an essential part of your puppy’s dietary needs. Even a 10% loss of body water can cause serious health complications. So just as it's crucial to observe the frequency of feeding your puppy, it's also important to make sure they are drinking enough. How much water should a puppy drink? It depends on a few factors.

Ideal water intake for a dog
The ideal water intake for a dog depends on their size and activity level. Most experts agree that, on average, a dog should consume 1 ounce of fluid per pound of body weight each day. That means a 45-pound dog should take in about 5.5 cups of fluid on a daily basis. Lactating mothers and puppies need more, as do dogs who are extremely active or live in hot, humid climates.

Read more
A simple guide to what to feed tadpoles in your aquarium
A list of everything you should and shouldn't give baby frogs
Small child looks into a jar of tadpoles

Whether you’re taking in rescue tadpoles or planning to keep frogs as pets, you’ll have to adapt continually to their changing bodies. These amphibians undergo a metamorphosis and live as tadpoles for up to 14 weeks, though the last stage of the transition happens in just 24 hours.

You’ll put them to bed as a kid and come back to a teenager. Also, tadpoles are vegetarians, but frogs are carnivorous, so you should prepare for their diet to evolve as they do over the course of a few months. Here's what to feed tadpoles.

Read more
Where to put a dog crate in your house depends on these important factors
Know exactly where to place a dog crate to keep your pet safe, secure, and happy at home
Dog looking through black dog crate

Dogs like to sleep in so many places: in your bed, in their own bed, on a sunny spot on the floor, and in their dog crate, to name a few. But that's not the only thing a crate is helpful for. It can keep your canine friend out of mischief and give you peace of mind when you're out of the house. A dog crate should ideally be a place of security and comfort for your pup (and it can be even better if you personalize it for their own unique needs). Of course, this raises the question of where to put a dog crate.

Have you been Googling something like, "Where to put dog crate?" We've got you covered! Always remember that a dog crate is supposed to create a safe space for your pet, while also assisting in their training, so the way you utilize that space in your home is essential for both of you.

Read more